New Idea Society - Somehow Disappearing

Somehow Disappearing (2010) was released on Shiny Shoes Records towards the end of last Summer and represents New Idea Society's third full length and fourth overall release (including one EP also released last year called Quiet Prism). I chose the debut release You Are Awake Or Asleep (2005) as one of my first albums to write about last year. New Idea Society is primarily Mike Law's creative avenue as he is responsible for vocals, guitar, and writing. Juxtaposing the debut release (or even the follow up album, The World Is Bright And Lonely) and this album really demonstrates the progress and growth Law and the group have taken, reaching their current state. The sound is indie rock, with an incorporation but not over-reliance on varying the instrumentation through keyboards/electronics. The core guitar, bass, drums, and vocals are still the bread 'n butter here, but finally here on this album the mix is just right. I find the songwriting more creative and willing to take more risks than on previous works. I think this has been made possible in part due to the excellent recording quality and production. There's a feel that things were just hitting right in the recording space, resulting in a tight and full sound.


New Idea Society - "Thorns"

What can you say about that low end, it makes its presence known at the onset in an almost thundering fashion and remains there throughout the duration of the song, providing a backbone. The keyboards, percussion, and vocals all kick in, for the first few versus, and the subsequent part features harmonized singing with guitar that sounds just perfect in relation to the keyboards within the song. This song is bass, bass, and more bass, freeing up the other instruments to pop in and out without disrupting the flow and progress of the song. The lyrics of the chorus are peculiarly powerful sounding to me, not sure why, but it is good.



New Idea Society - "Desolation Tongues"

I love how the song begins, a little more menacing than anything else on the album. The piano and percussion/drum combination keeping the breathtaking tempo is very well done. An almost suspense movie feel, while the chorus sections have a very serious and decisive tone. The percussive play on the ride cymbal is perhaps my favorite part, and in general I get the feeling that this was one of the "funner" songs to play as far as percussion goes. Echoing the vocals as opposed to layering was a nice touch, particularly with the word "echo" showing up in the lyrics. The closing is an instrumental part of the song, highlighted by the piano accenting. I felt a few songs didn't seem to end quite as well, but this one was right on the mark.

As I write this New Idea Society is touring Europe in support of this album. You can check out there tour progress at their facebook page. You can also find more information on the band at their webpage, newideasociety.com. The mp3 album is available through Amazon, and in cd format as well. Truly an album that is growing and growing on me, and I feel is likely the group's best produced when considering all aspects of the within.

Florence And The Machine - Lungs

Lungs was a 2008 release that in my little corner of the world I had not come into any contact with until very recently. I was surprised (but then not really) to find that this album has spurned seven singles of which multiple songs have blanketed American and British television and even a few movies. The group released a song not included in this album for the third Twilight movie (hey I just know this cause I read it on wikipedia) and judging by some of the television shows also fancying their work I can see the niche audience that the album's record company, Island Records, is marketing too. I am not in this audience, but here I am writing a little on this album because within this vocal-centric pop music, I find occasions of great writing and musical talent. It's not there everywhere, and there are certainly some "misses" within for me, but this is also because of one of the album's strengths, its variety. The songs span all sorts of genres, sometimes it clicks really well, sometimes it doesn't, but it keeps things lively and fresh to see lead singer Florence Welch tackle the different vocal fields. What makes it work so well is that she doesn't just dip her toe in, she goes all out, throwing herself at all the various vocal angles she could find. You get the sense that she is truly having fun singing these heartbroken (at times angry) songs. The music is a mix of instruments fashioned to meet the needs of each song, heavy on percussion, but also harp and piano playing a major role. The production is, as expected for a big market record company, extremely professional without any discernible detractions to the music. The following quote from the group's website describing the lyrics, "The songs are full of Gothic imagery, of fairytale flights of fantasy, and although much has been read into her lyrics, Florence says it’s usually simple. “Everything is about boys!” she laughs. “The whole album is about love – and pain."


Florence And The Machine - "Dog Days Are Over"

The opening track on the album was actually the second "single" release from the album. Infectiously catchy chorus with a bouncy beat. The percussion was what drew me to this song (I believe the first I had heard from Florence And The Machine), I like the way it builds up and uses a number of percussive instruments to essentially keep the same beat, just at different intervals through the song. Of course the hand claps were a great choice, as was the pause used just after three minutes in (the pseudo ending) prior to a return of the chorus with almost chanting vocals.


Florence And The Machine - "Between Two Lungs"

Not to be confused with Between Two Ferns, "Between Two Lungs" somehow stands out from the other songs on this album because of the vocal ground covered by Welch. Its here more than anywhere else that you hear get the feeling that she was giving all of herself to the music. Welch notes on their website that this song was where she had found her voice, “I’d found my voice, and I just felt euphoric,” she recalls. “It’s been a real process of me learning that the way I wanted to do it was actually the right way. This whole album has been about having faith in myself.” The song has an odd start/stop beginning. After the vocals move towards expansion the simple piano and percussion fills in nicely. The subtle backing vocal tracks are also tastefully placed. The chorus is full and strong and the long drawn out sung words towards the end of the song are real emotional triggers. A four minute song that seems shorter, perhaps because it avoids simple structure and doesn't uselessly repeat parts, succinct yet creative.

The band's website florenceandthemachine.net is very well done I have to say, not too overwhelming, provides a decent amount of information, and has assorted media. This album is available on the site, but it just links it to a number of outlets (HMV, Amazon, etc.). There are two CD releases, a "standard" and a "deluxe" release which includes a second CD that features a few more songs and a couple demo versions songs ("Dog Days Are Over" is one of these songs, with a little different take on the percussion). There's an element of masturbatory love of affluence and "how wonderful life is (when you get to trounce around L.A. and all sorts of destinations which most people will never experience or better put can afford to experience)" from this film short linked from the band's website, it sort of rubs me the wrong way honestly and I have a creeping suspicion that I would do better to simply enjoy the album release without prying too deep into the artist and/or record label background.